The Last Rule

Chapter 44 - Walk

We had been comfortably sitting in their living room for a while now and, honestly, being with Dos never gets boring. There is never dead air with him. Ever. Sobrang daldal niya that he always finds something to talk about, something to joke about, something stupid enough to make me smile and keep me entertained. Kahit kanina pa ako kinakabahan, somehow nagiging manageable lahat kapag siya ang kasama ko. Kaunti na lang, papunta na talaga siya sa pagiging clown, and I let him, because as long as he was talking, my mind had no space to spiral. I liked that about him. He had this way of filling the silence before it could turn ugly inside my head.

"Sobrang strict niya talaga," Dos said, finishing another story about his sister, parang casual lang para sa kanya.

I smiled, but my eyes drifted to the framed photos lining the wall. Every single picture of her looked intimidating. Strong brows. Strong posture. Strong presence. She looked powerful in a quiet but scary way, like someone who does not need to raise her voice to be obeyed. She looked like the kind of person who decides if you belong in her world within the first three seconds, and once she decides, there is no room for negotiation. The more Dos talked, the heavier my chest felt. Parang bawat kwento niya may dagdag sa kaba ko. Dapat hindi na lang ako nagtanong. I should have stopped him earlier, but now my mind was already running scenarios I did not ask for. What if she hates me? What if she already does? What if this was a bad idea from the start?

Calm down, Sola. Breathe. You are fine. You always are. But my body was not listening.

My heartbeat sped up the moment I heard cars pulling up outside. It was subtle at first, tires on gravel, doors closing, faint voices. But my body reacted immediately, like it knew before my brain could process it. 

"Andyan na sila," Tita Jen said as she stepped out of the kitchen, already changed and looking ready.

And just like that, the quiet comfort I had been clinging to disappeared. My safe bubble with Dos popped, and I knew there was no turning back now.

Dos stood up immediately and followed Tita Jen outside. Wala akong choice but to follow him. Staying alone inside that house felt scarier than whatever was waiting for me outside.

I counted without meaning to. Eleven people. Almost all of them were carrying something. Containers, paper bags, bottles of drinks. Everyone looked so comfortable, so familiar with the place, like they belonged there. And suddenly I felt like I was the only one who did not.

And then I saw her.

Dos' sister.

She stood out without even trying. She was smiling. Actually smiling. Not the intimidating, scary version I built in my head from Dos' stories and the framed photos inside the house. This smile was warm, confident, effortless. She looked glowing, like she owned the moment, like the day was truly hers. For half a second, my chest loosened. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I overthought everything. Maybe this was going to be okay.

Then my eyes shifted.

And I saw the person standing right beside her.

The ex.

My chest tightened so fast it almost hurt. A very familiar face. Too familiar. One I only knew from stories and photos and quiet thoughts I never wanted to admit. And yet there she was, in real life. Smiling. Comfortable. Existing way too close to my boyfriend's sister, like she had every right to be there.

They were talking, laughing, leaning toward each other, heads tilted slightly, like they shared inside jokes. Like best friends. Like history. Like something I was not part of.

So this is what it feels like.

I suddenly became hyper-aware of myself. Of how I was standing. Of how I was breathing. Of how small I felt in that moment. All the confidence I walked in with earlier started slipping through my fingers, replaced by questions I did not want to ask. Why is she here? Does everyone already know her?